5 biggest position battles for Clemson Football in fall camp

Some starters are known, but other positions will be up for grabs in fall camp. Here are the five most consequential for Clemson Football.

Clemson offensive lineman Ryan Linthicum (53) during the fourth quarter of the ACC Championship football game with North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina Saturday, Dec 3, 2022. Clemson Tigers Football Vs North Carolina Tar Heels Acc Championship Charlotte Nc / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Safety

RJ Mickens returns for his final season of eligibility. He will be one of the leaders on defense alongside Barrett Carter. As I noted in May, Mickey Conn believes Mickens has enough position flexibility that he can start at either free safety or strong safety. With Khalil Barnes starting at nickel/safety hybrid, that means Conn can tap the next best safety regardless of position preference to be the third starter.

He will have a handful of options. The veteran is Tyler Venables, who missed last season while recovering from surgery. There is also Sherrod Covil, who has played well when he has had the chance in a deep safety room. There are also some talented freshmen entering the program.

I am going to stick to my prediction from May. I think ultimately Kylon Griffin will emerge as the third starter. He didn’t play much as a redshirt freshman in 2022, but he saw action in 11 games last season with two interceptions.

I think Venables will make the perfect guy to come off the bench when needed and then be a student coach on the sideline during the games. Covil will see action too. This will continue to be a deep position for the Tigers.

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